Cut-off device for a magazine firearm



Feb. 3, 1959 R. H; WILD CUT-OFF DEVICE FOR A MAGAZINE FIREARM Filed Feb. 21 1958 INVENTOR.

ROLF H. WILD CUT-OFF DEVICE FOR A MAGAZINE FIREARM Rolf H. Wild, Hamden, Comm, assignor to Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, a corporation of Virginia The present invention relates to firearms and in particular to a feed control or cut-off device.

atent O By the term cut-off is meant a mechanism operative f to control issuance of rounds of ammunition from the magazine of a firearm in sequential fashion and in accordance with the firearms operating cycle.

In general, a firearm with which the present invention may be utilized is shown and disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,333,677 wherein a tubular magazine is shown disposed below the firearm barrel.

In the disclosure of the above-noted patent, feed control means are provided effective to permit single rounds of ammunition to emerge from the magazine, sequentially, into a suitable carrier or lifting device in turn operable to dispose the round in a position for chambering.

A particular feature of the present invention is the provision of an improved feed control or cut-off device.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an exceedingly simple cutoff.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cut-01f fabricated as by stamping utilizing conventional punch and die sets.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a simple cut-off device wherein the cut-off, per se, is not in direct contact nor does it require contact with coil springs and the like for actuation.

A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a cut-off formed of resilient sheet metal.

A firearm embracing certain principles of the feed control device of the present invention may comprise a receiver, a chamber, a magazine communicating with the receiver, said magazine being designed to receive a plurality of rounds of ammunition and operative to urge the rounds resiliently towards said feed control device, a forked element having a pair of arcuate tines pivotally mounted to the receiver, said element being movable from a normal position wherein a first tine contacts the head of a first round of ammunition to a second position wherein a second tine contacts the head of a second round of ammunition and chamber closure means, said resiliently urged rounds of ammunition cooperating with said chamber closure means effective to move the cut-off device from the normal position to the second position whereby the first round of ammunition is discharged from the magazine.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a study of the succeeding specification when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a showing of a portion of a shotgun with which the principles of the present invention may be utilized. Certain portions of the gun in the area of the receiver, tubular magazine, chamber, and carrier are broken away for clarity;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the cut-off device in the actuated or second position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 as viewed in the plane of line 3--3 andin the direction shown by the Patented Feb. 3, 1959 2 arrows; the cut-off is shown in both the normal and actuated positions; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cut-off device, per se, showing the arcuate structure of the tines and the disposition of the tines with respect to the round of ammunition poised for discharge from the magazine.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown a receiver 10 carrying a barrel 11 formed with a chamber 12 in which there is disposed a shotshell 13. In the manner shown and described in said Patent No. 2,333,677, a shotshell 13 is breeched by a bolt 14 in turn operated by a bolt action slide 16.

A tubular magazine 17 is disposed below the barrel and communicates with the receiver. Shotshells 18 and 19, disposed in the magazine, are spring pressed to the left as viewed in Fig. l by a magazine spring (not shown) in conventional fashion. A carrier 21 is normally disposed in alignment with the mouth of the magazine and is operative to receive a shell discharged from the magazine as the firearms action is cycled.

After receiving a round of ammunition, the carrier is operative, automatically, to lift the shell to the position shown in Fig. 2 whereupon the bolt is moved to the right to drive the shell into the chamber 12 in well known fashion.

Disposed between the carrier 21 and the tubular magazine is a feed control device indicated generally by the reference numeral 22. For purposes of clarity in claiming the present invention the device may be also referred to as a cut-off.

The cut-01f, fabricated from spring metallic material such as spring steel characterizes a main body 23 and a forked element having a pair of arcuate tines 24 and 26. The main body of the cut-off is pivotally mounted to the receiver sidewall by a pin 27 and is formed with a generally fiat top surface 28 operative to engage a corresponding surface 29 of the bolt action slide 16.

-In the position of the cut-off shown in Fig. 1, hereinafter referred to as the normal position, the arcuate tine 24 acts as a stop for the round of ammunition indicated by the reference numeral 18 wherein the forward end of the tine engages the edge of the head of the shell as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. Since the shells disposed in the magazine 17 are resiliently urged to the left by the magazine spring, the engagement of the head of the first shell 18 with the tine 24 tends to rotate the tine in a clockwise direction thus urging the main body of the cut-off into contact with the underside of the action slide 16.

Note further that in the normal position of the cut-ofi, as shown in Fig. 1, tine 26, by virtue of its arcuate structure, increased length with respect to the tine 24, and disposition above the tine 24, projects around the head of the first shotshell 18 and is disposed as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Thus, in the normal position of the cut-off the firearm chamber is closed by the bolt 14, action slide 16 presents a fiat surface to the corresponding surface of the cut-off precluding rotation thereof.

Upon operation of the firearm action the bolt action slide 16 in opening the bolt moves to the left to the posi tion shown in Fig. 2 whereupon a cut-out portion of the action slide, indicated by the reference numeral 31, is presented to a heel 32 of the cut-off. Since the round 18 by virtue of its engagement'with the tine 24 is constantly urging the cut-off in a clockwise direction, the cut-out 31 permits the cut-off to rotate to the position shown in Fig. 2, hereinafter referred to as the second position. Note that in the course of the rotation of the cut-off, the tine 24 slides off the head of the shell 18 wherein the tine drops downwardly and away from the edge of the shell head. This action of the cut-off permits the shell 18 5 to move past both tines and on to the carrier to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2.

Note further that while tine 24 is sliding olf the head of the shell 18, tine 26 was rotating and is dropped downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2 ,so as to present an abutment to the head of the next succeeding shell in the magazine; namely, the shell 19 in the same manner that tine 24 formerly blocked shell or round 18.

The blocking action of the tine 26 takes place, of course, because of the arcuate structure, increased length and space disposition of this tine with respect to the tine 24 as previously described.

After the carrier 21 is elevated in conventional fashion to the solid line position shown in Fig. 2 to present the shell 18 to the bolt face for chambering, the bolt slide 16 is moved to the right whereupon the cut-out portion 31 thereof operates to cam the heel 32 of the cut-off downwardly or in a counterclockwise direction. This occurrence tends to drive the tine 26 upwardly and off the head of the shell 19 to the normal position of the cut-ofi shown in Fig. 1.

During the counterclockwise rotation of the cut-oif the tine 26 moves to the position shown in Fig. 1 and the shell 19 moves into abutment with the tine 24 in response to the force exerted by the magazine spring.

Although the cut-off device is shown and described in connection with a shotgun it is entirely within the spirit and scope of the invention that the cut-off be utilized with any firearm embracing a tubular magazine communicating with the receiver.

Furthermore, it is not necessary that the cut-01f or feed control device be actuated by the bolt action slide. It is entirely possible that other members or elements of the bolt closure means, such as the bolt itself, may be utilized to actuate the cut-off. For purposes of clarity and claiming, the terms bolt closure means may include the bolt,

bolt action slide, bolt slide or other elements which cooperate to accomplish chamber closure.

What is claimed is:

1. In a firearm including a receiver, a chamber, a magazine communicating with the receiver, said magazine being designed to receive a plurality of rounds of ammunition and being operative to urge the rounds resiliently towards said receiver, a cut-off device comprising a forked element having a pair of tines pivotally mounted on the receiver, said element being movable from a normal position wherein a first tine contacts the head of a first round of ammunition within said magazine to a second position wherein the second tine contacts the head of a second round of ammunition within said magazine, and chamber closure means, said resiliently urged rounds of ammunition cooperating with the closure means effective to move the element from the normal position to the second position whereby the first round of ammunition is discharged from the magazine and the second round is retained therein.

2. The cut-01f device of claim 1 wherein the tines are formed arcuately and the forked element is disposed so that the tines tend to project towards the interior of the magazine.

3. The cut-off device of claim 1 wherein the tines are formed of resilient metal so as to be flexible in the direction which tends to flatten their arcuate structure.

4. The cut-off device of claim 1 wherein the forked element is mounted to a sidewall of the receiver and rotates in a plane generally parallel to said sidewall.

5. The'cut-ofi device of claim 1 wherein the closure means comprises a bolt action slide formed with a cut-out portion engageable with the heel of the cut-off.

No references cited. 

